CfP: The Diffusion of Security: Concepts, Practices, Politics, EISA-PEC, 1-4 September 2026, Lisbon
Andrew Neal
Call for Papers: The Diffusion of Security: Concepts, Practices, Politics
EISA regular section; section chairs: Hendrik Hegemann, University of Hamburg; Andrew Neal, University of Edinburgh
EISA European International Studies Association, 1-4 September 2026, 19th Pan-European Conference on International Relations - University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal
We invite paper and panel submissions for this regular EISA section.
Submission portal/deadline: 19 February.
The movement of security concepts, practices, and discourses across geographical, temporal, and professional boundaries has become a defining feature of contemporary security politics. From the global spread of counterterrorism frameworks to the circulation of cyber security vocabularies, from the transnational adoption of risk-based governance to the normalisation of emergency politics, security ideas travel, transform, and take root in diverse contexts. This section invites cutting-edge research examining how security concepts diffuse – and with what political consequences.
We welcome contributions exploring the mechanisms, patterns, and effects of security diffusion across multiple dimensions: geographical translation between states and regions; temporal evolution and path dependencies; movement across professional fields and epistemic communities; and shifts between political arenas. We are particularly interested in work addressing the role of populist and novel political movements in reshaping security discourses, examining both progressive and regressive forms of diffusion, and investigating the processes through which exceptional security measures become normalised.
The section encourages methodological pluralism, including historical analysis, conceptual innovation, empirical case studies, computational document analysis, and examination of diverse textual formats and media. By bringing together scholars working across these different dimensions and approaches, we aim to advance understanding of how security ideas circulate and crystallise in the contemporary international order.
Indicative panels:
Geographies of security diffusion
Security concepts and practices travel across borders through diverse pathways: policy transfer between states, international organisation mandates, epistemic community networks, and transnational advocacy. How do security ideas move between the Global North and South? What happens when Western security frameworks encounter non-Western contexts? How do regional security communities develop distinctive approaches whilst simultaneously adopting global norms? This panel examines the spatial dimensions of security diffusion, including the role of colonial legacies, power asymmetries, and processes of translation and adaptation. We welcome empirical studies tracking specific concepts across geographical contexts, as well as theoretical work on mechanisms of diffusion and resistance.
Temporalities and trajectories of securitisation
The temporal dimensions of security diffusion remain underexplored. How do security concepts emerge, spread, and become institutionalised over time? What explains the rapid global adoption of some frameworks (such as critical infrastructure protection) whilst others remain contested or marginal? How do path dependencies shape which security ideas 'stick' in particular contexts? This panel invites historical analysis of security concept diffusion, studies of policy learning and forgetting, examination of how security discourses evolve across political cycles, and work on the temporalities of normalisation. Papers might trace the life-course of specific security concepts or develop theoretical frameworks for understanding temporal patterns in securitisation processes.
Professional fields and epistemic communities
Security knowledge circulates through professional networks: between military and civilian domains, from intelligence communities to public policy, from academic security studies to practitioner discourse, from technology sectors to governance frameworks. How do different professional communities shape, contest, and legitimate security concepts? What happens when security ideas cross epistemic boundaries? How do expert networks drive or resist particular forms of securitisation? This panel explores the role of professional fields in security diffusion, including work on boundary organisations, think tanks, international organisations, consulting firms, and academic–practitioner relationships. We welcome empirical studies of specific epistemic communities and theoretical work on knowledge circulation in security politics.
Populism, polarisation, and novel security politics
The rise of populist movements and political polarisation is reshaping security discourse in fundamental ways. New political actors articulate alternative security threats, challenge established security frameworks, and deploy security language for diverse political projects. How do populist movements mobilise security discourses? What role does polarisation play in fragmenting or intensifying security consensus? How do novel political formations – from social movements to digital activism – introduce new security concepts or resurrect marginalised ones? Which concepts of security do other state and non-state actors advance in order to challenge or curtail populist movements and political polarisation? This panel examines the relationship between changing political landscapes and security diffusion, including work on the securitisation of migration, identity politics and security, the weaponisation of security language, and progressive alternatives to dominant security frameworks.
Methods for studying security diffusion
Understanding how security concepts diffuse requires methodological innovation. How can researchers identify, track, and analyse patterns of diffusion across vast corpora of documents? What can computational text analysis reveal about the spread of security vocabularies? How do different formats (strategies, white papers, risk assessments, ministerial speeches, social media) shape diffusion processes? What are the possibilities and limitations of comparative methods for studying diffusion? This panel invites papers showcasing innovative methodologies for researching security diffusion, including work using natural language processing, network analysis, comparative historical analysis, ethnographic approaches to policy transfer, and critical discourse analysis. We particularly welcome work reflecting on how different methods illuminate distinct aspects of diffusion processes and how methodological choices shape research findings.
Best wishes,
Andrew
New publication: After Nord Stream: four security dilemmas in critical maritime infrastructure protection, International Affairs, Chatham House
Dataset: National Security and Defence Documents Dataset (1987-2024) v2.0
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Professor Andrew Neal
Personal Chair of International Security
Director of Postgraduate Research Programmes
School of Social and Political Science
University of Edinburgh
https://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/staff/andrew-neal